Research into the detrimental effects of excessive exercise has been conceptualized in a number of similar ways, including ‘exercise addiction’, ‘exercise dependence’, ‘obligatory exercising’, ‘exercise abuse’, and ‘compulsive exercise’. Among the most currently used (and psychometrically valid and reliable) instruments is the Exercise Addiction Inventory (EAI). The present study aimed to further explore the psychometric properties of the EAI by combining the datasets of a number of surveys carried out in five different countries (Denmark, Hungary, Spain, UK, and US) that have used the EAI with a total sample size of 6,031 participants. A series of multigroup confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were carried out examining configural invariance, metric invariance, and scalar invariance. The CFAs using the combined dataset supported the configural invariance and metric invariance but not scalar invariance. Therefore, EAI factor scores from five countries are not comparable because the use or interpretation of the scale was different in the five nations. However, the covariates of exercise addiction can be studied from a cross-cultural perspective because of the metric invariance of the scale. Gender differences among exercisers in the interpretation of the scale also emerged. The implications of the results are discussed, and it is concluded that the study’s findings will facilitate a more robust and reliable use of the EAI in future research.

The COVID-19 pandemic affects the whole world. Spain is 5th in the world and 3rd in Europe with the largest number of diagnosed cases. Spanish citizens’ attitudes are important in controlling the pandemic. This research assessed attitudes of Spaniards toward COVID-19 in two studies. One (n = 64) was conducted in a shopping centre in Madrid and another (n = 640) online. The results of both studies suggest that women in Spain have a ‘more responsible’ attitude toward the COVID-19 than men. Young adults (18–25 years) scored lower on compliance with safety measures and perceived need to stay home than older adults. In Study 1, level of compliance, knowing someone at risk, and knowing someone infected predicted 31.2% of the variance in the perceived need to stay home. In Study 2, personal concern, level of compliance, keeping distance from others, and perceived social alarm predicted 28.5% of the variance in perceived need to stay home. Regardless of age and/or gender, Spanish people's personal concern about COVID-19 was less than their perceived social alarm about it. These results might help policy makers in considering public attitudes which could play an important role in controlling the current, and possibly a second, wave of COVID-19.

The main objective of this study is to extend the stress and injury model of Andersen and Williams to other “negative” psychological variables, such as anxiety and depression, encompassed in the conceptual model of Olmedilla and García-Mas. The relationship is studied of this psychological macro-variable with two other variables related to sports injuries: the search for social support and the search for connections between risk and the environment of athletes. A combination of classic methods and probabilistic approaches through Bayesian networks is used. The study samples comprised 455 traditional and indoor football players (323 male and 132 female) of an average age of 21.66 years (±4.46). An ad hoc questionnaire was used for the corresponding sociodemographic data and data relating to injuries. The variables measured were the emotional states of: stress, depression and anxiety, the attitude towards risk-taking in different areas, and the evaluation of the perception of social support. The results indicate that the probabilistic analysis conducted gives a boost to the classic model focused on stress, as well as the conceptual planning derived from the Global Model of Sports Injuries (GMSI), supporting the possibility of extending the stress model to other variables, such as anxiety and depression (“negative” triad).

Background: Adolescence is a critical period of physical, psychological, and social development, during which athletes are particularly vulnerable to stress and injuries. Competitive anxiety has been identified as a psychological factor that may increase injury risk; however, its role among young soccer players remains underexplored. Objectives: This study aimed to analyse the association between competitive anxiety and injury vulnerability in young male soccer players aged 10 to 15 years. Methods: A total of 322 male soccer players from youth categories (Alevin, Infantil, and Cadete) participated. Competitive anxiety was assessed using the Sport Anxiety Scale-2 (SAS-2), and injury data were collected via a self-reported questionnaire covering the 2024–2025 season. Descriptive, comparative, and correlational analyses were conducted using non-parametric tests. Results: A high incidence of injuries was observed, increasing progressively with age category. In the overall sample, injuries were associated with higher levels of Somatic Anxiety, as well as with age and sporting experience, variables also linked to increased Worry and reduced Distraction. When analysed by category, no significant associations between anxiety and injury were found in Alevin players. In the Infantil group, injury incidence showed a slight increase with age and experience, but no association with anxiety was detected. Among Cadete players, injuries were positively related to Somatic Anxiety and Distraction, highlighting the influence of psychological factors at this developmental stage. Conclusions: These findings underscore the relevance of competitive anxiety, particularly Worry and Distraction, as risk factors for injury in youth soccer. The implementation of preventive psychological interventions and ongoing monitoring is recommended to reduce anxiety levels and injury vulnerability, thereby promoting safer and healthier athletic development among young soccer players.

Background: Athletic success depends not only on physical performance and psychological well-being but also on the effective emotional regulation of adaptive processes to prevent sports injuries in stressful situations such as competition. This study analyzes the relationship between emotional state, pre-competitive anxiety, and injury incidence in female volleyball players throughout an entire competitive season. Methods: The POMS and CSAI-2 questionnaires were administered before 16 league matches to 21 high-performance players (mean age = 29.66 ± 5.19 years). Results: Players exhibited an iceberg mood profile with low levels of pre-competitive anxiety. Negative moods were higher at the start and decreased over time, while positive moods increased as matches progressed (p < 0.05). Anxiety remained stable throughout. Additionally, 28.6% of players experienced injuries; injured players showed higher cognitive anxiety, lower self-confidence, and emotional instability, suggesting a potential psychological risk profile for injury, even though group differences did not reach statistical significance. Significant correlations were found between Total Mood Disturbance (TMD) and cognitive anxiety (r = 0.49, p < 0.05) and between vigor and self-confidence (r = 0.52, p < 0.01), indicating a bidirectional relationship. A bidirectional relationship between mood and anxiety was confirmed, highlighting the POMS Total Mood Disturbance (TMD) index as a global emotional indicator. Conclusions: These findings suggest that managing worries, self-confidence, and emotional balance are key factors in injury prevention, emphasizing the importance of regularly monitoring and managing psychological indicators as part of injury prevention strategies.

Hoy en día la agresión en los/as niños/as es un problema preocupante, donde se ha utilizado en algunos programas, las artes marciales para disminuir los niveles de violencia, debido a los valores de respeto y autocontrol que se le otorgan. Sin embargo, no siempre se ha obtenido los resultados esperados. El objetivo de este artículo es observar si las artes marciales, como el judo y el karate, son un método adecuado para disminuir los niveles de ira en los/as niños/as. Se realizó un estudio longitudinal cuasi-experimental durante un período de seis meses en el que participaron 82 niños/as, divididos en grupo control y experimental (kárate y judo). Fue utilizado el Inventario de Expresión de Ira Estado-Rasgo para Niños y Adolescentes (STAXI-NA). Se encontraron diferencias significativas sólo en algunos de los componentes de ira, en las pruebas previas de expresión de ira del grupo control y experimental, y en las pruebas previas y posteriores de expresión de ira del grupo de karate. Los resultados obtenidos en este estudio sugieren que el entrenamiento en artes marciales no tiene efecto sobre la gestión global de la ira en niños/as. Se señalan aspectos comunes en las intervenciones que han disminuido los niveles de ira (aspectos tradicionales, diseño de un programa específico, sujetos con problemas de conducta, contexto escolar) y se muestra con los resultados obtenidos, cómo una intervención habitual realizada en un contexto de club deportivo, en una población normal y sin un programa específico, tienen dificultades para reducir la ira de los participantes.